LSD - Lisbon School of Design

What LSD - Lisbon School of Design does

LSD - Lisbon School of Design is a privately held Portuguese design education institution founded in 2009 and headquartered in Lisbon. The school delivers professional training programs across six long-term disciplines (260-280 hours each) — 3D Animation for Games and Cinema, Interior Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Digital Communication, Fashion Design, and Fashion Modeling — alongside a catalog of more than seventeen short-term courses (40-160 hours) covering UX/UI, Digital Marketing, Motion Design, Photography, Revit, SketchUp, AutoCAD, AI for Design, and adjacent creative disciplines. Instruction is delivered across four physical campuses in Lisbon, Porto, Faro, and Leiria, plus a dedicated online learning portal (myLSD) that supports both hybrid and 100% online enrollment.

The business model is tuition-based, with revenue generated from course fees structured as one-time payments or nine-month installment plans, segmented by Portuguese-resident versus non-resident pricing (non-resident long-term tuition ranges from €3,185 to €3,430). Courses culminate in SIGO-certified qualifications recognized by Portuguese education authorities. The curriculum emphasizes portfolio development, hands-on training in industry-standard tools (Adobe Creative Suite, Autodesk Maya, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit, Figma, Webflow, Midjourney, ChatGPT), and direct industry exposure through partnerships with textile, construction, and decoration-sector companies plus alumni showcases at Portugal Fashion.

LSD targets four primary learner segments: career changers seeking design credentials, recent secondary-school graduates exploring creative careers, entrepreneurs building design-dependent brands (e.g., Leizi, Line Interior Concept), and practicing designers pursuing continuing education. The school has 182 employees and is independent and privately held, with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or parent-company ownership identified.

Name

LSD - Lisbon School of Design

Legal name

LSD - Lisbon School of Design

Website

https://lsd.pt

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

LSD - Lisbon School of Design is a privately held Portuguese design education institution founded in 2009, operating four campuses (Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Leiria) plus an online portal, delivering long-term and short-term professional courses in interior design, fashion, graphic design, web design, and 3D animation to career changers, aspiring designers, and creative professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design Education & Vocational Training

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC), Learning Strategy, Instructional Design & Content Development (BPACANAG)

Keywords

• Design education
• Professional training
• Vocational courses
• Creative arts training
• Design school

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition Fees: LSD generates revenue primarily through course tuition fees. The school offers various payment options including full payment upfront, monthly installments (typically 9 monthly payments), and early registration discounts. Different courses have different price points based on duration and format (long-term vs short-term).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LSD - Lisbon School of Design is a private Portuguese design education institution that delivers in-person and online professional training courses in design disciplines. The catalog includes long-term comprehensive programs (260-280 hours) in Interior Design, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Digital Communication, 3D Animation for Games and Cinema, and Fashion Patternmaking, alongside short-duration courses (40-160 hours) covering UX/UI, Digital Marketing, Photography, Motion Design, AI for Design, software tools such as AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, and other specialized design topics.

Product overview

LSD - Lisbon School of Design is a Portuguese design education institution offering professional training programs in various design disciplines. The portfolio consists of long-term comprehensive courses (ranging from 260-280 hours) including Interior Design, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Digital Communication, Fashion Modeling, and 3D Animation for Games and Cinema. Additionally, the school offers short-duration software and skill-specific courses (40-160 hours) covering Digital Marketing, UX/UI Design, Photography, Motion Design, AI for Design and Creativity, Digital Illustration, Fashion Marketing, Event Design, Garden Design, Visual & Store Design, Fashion Photography, Fashion Upcycling, and software training in AutoCAD, Revit, and SketchUp. The courses are delivered across multiple campuses in Lisbon, Porto, Faro, and Leiria, with select programs available 100% online.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animação 3D para Jogos e Cinema (3D Animation for Games and Cinema) Long-term professional training in 3D animation for games and cinema, covering modeling, rigging, animation, lighting, rendering, visual effects simulation, and composition using tools such as Autodesk Maya and Adobe After Effects. Aimed at aspiring 3D artists and motion design technicians.
• Design de Interiores (Interior Design) 280-hour immersive program in creating functional and captivating interior spaces, covering spatial design, materials, lighting, furniture, 2D and 3D rendering, project management, and interior decoration. Aimed at career changers and aspiring interior designers.
• Design de Moda (Fashion Design) 280-hour comprehensive fashion design program covering creative processes, pattern-making techniques, collection creation, fashion illustration, and sustainable fashion practices. Aimed at aspiring fashion designers and brand founders.
• Design Gráfico (Graphic Design) 280-hour graphic design program integrating classic design fundamentals with digital tools and AI, covering visual identity, editorial design, advertising, packaging, UX/UI and web design using Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Figma, and Webflow. Aimed at aspiring graphic designers and brand creators.
• Web Design & Digital Communication 260-hour professional training in web design with focus on visual design, layout, typography, interface design, visual identity, and website construction using current market tools. Aimed at aspiring web designers and digital communication professionals.
• Modelagem de Moda (Fashion Patternmaking) 280-hour fashion patternmaking program teaching 3D modeling, moulage, industrial sewing, basic patterns, prototyping, and garment construction for fashion. Aimed at aspiring fashion patternmakers and garment construction specialists.
• AutoCAD

Quantifiable outcome

• Alumni have founded successful brands such as Leizi (sleepwear), Line Interior Concept, and Mariana Ferreira Interior Design
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Textile Sector CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiatives in partnership with companies in the textile sector. Students benefit from industry exposure, potential internships, and networking opportunities with fashion industry professionals.
• Decoration and Construction Sector CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents have contact with companies and professionals in the construction and decoration sector. The school facilitates access to themed fairs and lectures that help students develop networking in the area.
• Portugal FashioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSD alumni present collections at Portugal Fashion, one of Portugal's premier fashion events. This partnership provides significant visibility for graduates and demonstrates the school's ability to produce industry-ready talent. An alumni recently presented their first collection at Portugal Fashion.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Restart Institute: Lisbon-based digital and creative school offering short intensive programs in design, coding, and digital marketing. Comparable course format and price points to LSD's short-duration offerings.
• Shillington Education: Global design bootcamp offering intensive graphic and UX/UI courses with locations in multiple countries. Directly comparable as a portfolio-driven, intensive design education provider competing for similar career-changer and upskiller audiences.
• IADE (Universidade Europeia): Portuguese design, marketing, and creative university based in Lisbon and other cities. Directly comparable as a Portuguese higher-education competitor offering design and creative disciplines to overlapping student personas.
• Flatiron School: US-based bootcamp offering immersive and part-time programs in software engineering, data, UX/UI, and cybersecurity. Comparable short-format, career-changer-focused education model targeting similar upskiller personas.
• ETIC (Escola Técnica de Imagem e Comunicação): Lisbon-based technical school for image, communication, and creative disciplines with multi-format courses. Closely matches LSD's model of practical, professional-oriented design training with Portuguese market focus.
• ESAD (Escola Superior de Artes e Design): Portuguese polytechnic design school with campuses in Matosinhos and other cities. Direct competitor in design higher education with similar vocational, portfolio-driven pedagogy.

Emerging players

• Domestika: Online creative course marketplace offering design, illustration, and creative courses from independent creators. Competes for the same online learner segment that LSD targets through its myLSD platform, particularly in Lusophone markets.

Broad incumbents

• General Assembly: Established global provider of short-form tech and design training (now part of Adecco). Overlaps with LSD's UX/UI, digital marketing, and web design short courses, especially for the non-Portugal-resident online audience.
• IED Istituto Europeo di Design: Italian-founded international design school with multiple campuses across Europe and beyond. Comparable multi-campus design education model and course portfolio, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint than LSD.
• Domus Academy: Italian postgraduate design school in Milan offering master's programs in product, interior, fashion, and visual design. Comparable focus on portfolio-driven design education, though positioned at a higher academic tier than LSD.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/lisbon-school-of-design

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LSD - Lisbon School of Design